Student body chapel to encourage a spiritual mindset

October 18, 2013Bethany WilliamsComments Off on Student body chapel to encourage a spiritual mindset

Learning what spiritual mindedness is and how to apply it to a Christian’s daily life will be the theme of this year’s first student body chapel on Oct. 25.

“We really want it to be focused on spiritual mindedness because it ties in with the theme [for this school year] of reflecting God,” said Abigail Troutman, women’s student body chaplain. “It’s about walking in the Spirit. God has called us to be holy as He is holy.”

The theme verse of the service will be Romans 8:6, which says “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

“It’s really cool. It’s something that God’s been teaching me this summer,” said Caleb Schaaf, men’s student body chaplain. “When I’m trying to do something by myself, it doesn’t work. But when God is really in it and I’m focusing on Him, He’s blessing it. If He’s been using [this topic] in my life, there are definitely others who He can use it in, too.”

The Student Leadership Council chaplains changed the format this year to simplify it, specifically focusing on one theme during the chapel.

Schaaf will open the service with a brief devotional time, speaking on what the Bible has to say about being spiritually minded, and after a time of worship in song, he will close with how students can apply spiritual mindedness in practical ways to their daily lives.

“He’s called us to so much more than we’re giving Him,” Troutman said. “He wants every bit of us. He wants us to be constantly thinking about Him and talking to Him and being in His word. We need to have a hunger to walk with God and know Him more.”

The SLC chaplains hope students will leave the service with the goal of intentionally finding ways to bring God into their lives on a daily basis, through things like consistent time in the Bible, or praying Scripture back to God.

“Having that God-focus of spiritual mindedness gives you so much peace when you’re in [stressful times],” Schaaf said. “The first place [our] mind should go isn’t ‘why is this happening?’ but ‘what is God teaching me through this?’ [It always goes back to] God and what He’s trying to do in our lives.”